EDITORIAL: Nonpartisan governments serve people, not party

I take exception to the Jan. 20 letter, "Politicized school boards nonpartisan in name only," in which the writer downplays nonpartisan elections for both school board and municipal elections.

When Brick had nonpartisan elections, there were many more candidates who would seek public office, including members of both major political parties as well as independents.

When Brick switched to partisan government, the field became limited to Republicans and Democrats, which have not necessarily been the best to represent the community.

Independents can run, but cannot adequately compete with those running under a party banner because voters are conditioned to vote the party line. Many do so without knowing the candidate's qualities or what he or she stands for.

In a nonpartisan election, no party label appears on the ballot or in campaign literature. Unless a candidate's party affiliation is known by other means, voters actually have to do a little thinking about for whom they are voting.

In Brick, we have had more than enough partisan politics. It seems no matter what party gets in, it's politics as usual, with nest-feathering and nepotism continuing.

It's time for the people of Brick to consider returning to nonpartisan government, wherein anyone can be a candidate without competing against those who enjoy the benefit of a party label. Perhaps then we can elect those who will represent the people's, rather than their own or their party's, interests.

Salvatore R. Petoia

Brick

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EDITORIAL: Nonpartisan governments serve people, not party

I take exception to the Jan. 20 letter, 'Politicized school boards nonpartisan in name only,' in which the writer downplays nonpartisan elections for both school board and municipal elections.

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